DEAR FIRST FAMILY,
September is upon us, which means our fall season is now in full swing. In the coming week, we will be kicking off several studies, including The Prayer Course, an eight-week study by Pete Greig, the author of the book How to Pray. Offered at five different time slots throughout the week, this course is another way we are leaning into our church-wide goal of empowering one another to develop and deepen in the daily habit of prayer.
To register or to find out more about all that we are doing in our 2025 focus on the Practice of Prayer, check out www.fmcm.org/prayer.
We currently have more than 400 registered for Bible Study this fall, which does not include our Pastors Bible Study, which meets every Wednesday at 10am in our chapel space. Pastor Jan and I lead this weekly study together. No homework is involved. You can show up anytime. You can even join us online.
We kick off Pastors Bible Study this coming Wednesday, and I would love to see you there.
Each of these opportunities and our year-long focus on prayer speak to our deep desire to be a church where people are maturing in faith. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul speaks about the various gifts God gives to the church before specifying God’s intent in that sharing. In verse 12 of chapter 4, he describes God’s purposes as,
“…to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
The short summary… God desires that we grow! And don’t miss the “we” in that sentence. This is something we do together. The whole body matures. The whole body grows into “the fullness of Christ.”
We participate in one another’s growth, spurring one another on and continually receiving the benefit of each other’s knowledge and experience.
Every church should be a place where people are finding new life in Christ and making the decision to surrender their lives to Him. But that is only the beginning. There are endless treasures to explore, what Paul describes in this same letter as “the boundless riches of Christ.”
I cannot help but wonder,
What might God do in us in these coming months?
How might we grow together?
What ‘boundless riches’ might we soon receive?
In what way is God calling us into deeper relationship and greater maturity?
I’m excited about everything that is ahead. I hope you are as well. Looking forward to seeing you this weekend!
I love you and I’m proud of you,
Pastor David
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